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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · hand · can · perch · mine · prune · bass · lie

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hand — in cards
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bass — low music
  10. can — a tin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. perch — the fish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — help
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com